PS4 Update 5.0 Beta is Here! Official Key Features Released by Sony

After weeks of waiting, Sony finally announced that it has begun rolling out the beta for its PS4 update 5.0!

Last month, the tech company informed its loyal PS gamers that the 5.0 patch for the PlayStation 4 system was already on its way and that a beta version would be released this month.

True to its word, the company finally revealed that the beta update has started rolling out. In addition to that, PlayStation enthusiasts were treated to a surprise when Sony also announced some of the key features of the PS4 update.

It should be remembered that last week, Eurogamer claimed they obtained the release notes for the 5.0 firmware update. With Sony’s revelation, it appears that some of the leaked features were indeed included in the upcoming PS4 update.

PS4 Update 5.0: What to Expect

In a post published on PlayStation’s blogsite, Andrew Kelly, Senior Manager of Public Relations at PlayStation, gave everyone the first look at the features included in the 5.0 patch.

Apparently, the company wanted to offer a more flexible experience for families by making it easier to setup PSN accounts for children customize the parental control settings. To make this happen, Kelly said that they overhauled the current master/sub-account system to introduce a new ‘Family on PlayStation Network.’

PlayStation 4 Family for PSN | PlayStation

“Family on PSN will allow multiple adults to be part of a single family. The Family Manager can promote another adult inside the family to a Parent/Guardian, who can then customize parental control levels of children’s accounts,” Kelly explained.

Another feature includes the removal of the ‘Favorite Groups‘ tab to be replaced by the ‘Custom List‘ tab. The new setup will let you manage your friends and create specific groups. For instance, you can now make a custom list for your Destiny teammates and quickly send them raid invites.

PlayStation 4 Custom List Tab | PlayStation

The next feature to look forward to involves broadcast update. If you are a community owner, you will now have the power to bind your community to your broadcast.

“When a broadcast is linked to a community, the community button appears on the Live from PlayStation spectator screen. Once a spectator clicks on the community button, they’ll be able to jump directly to your community page to check out the details.”

Aside from this, Sony also added two new settings to the PlayStation VR: Display Message to Spectators and Spectators Comments. This feature will enable spectator comments during a broadcast to appear not just in cinematic mode, but in VR mode as well.

For Twitch users, Sony proudly announced that the PS4 Pro will now support 1080p 60fps streaming on Twitch. How great is that?

Another PS4 update includes message improvements that will allow users to share their favorite music not just on Twitter and Facebook, but via messages too. In addition to that, you will now be able to leave several message groups at once if you need to.

Notification was also upgraded to allow PlayStation users to disable pop-up notifications while watching a movie or TV show on their PS4. You will also have the option to turn off message previews on your pop-up notification, giving you more privacy.